RSS Feedhttps://10.40.239.129/blogs/rss-feed/Blog RSS Feeden{61CE1BD3-9C88-4209-BAC9-ECE03B6CB873}https://10.40.239.129/blogs/2016/09/5-common-warts-and-how-theyre-treated/5 Common Warts and How They&#39;re TreatedThe short answer is, <a href="https://intermountainhealthcare.org/services/dermatology/conditions/warts/" target="_blank">warts</a>
<p> are a common viral infection in the skin &ndash; human papillomavirus.&nbsp; The long answer, warts are noncancerous skin growths that are more common in children than adults. However, nearly everyone will get a wart at some point in his/her life. Lay your stress and potential social awkwardness aside, because often they go away on their own or you can elect for proactive treatments.
</p>
<div>&nbsp;
<strong>
<h2>Treatments for Warts</h2>
</strong>
<ul>
<li>Topical acid patches</li>
<li>Freezing with liquid nitrogen </li>
<li>Electrodesiccation (destroying wart with electrical current)</li>
<li>Laser surgery</li>
<li>Manual removal with medical equipment </li>
</ul>
<p>Warts frequently take several treatments and sometimes regrow because the virus will stay in the skin.&nbsp; Interestingly, about a third of warts will go away by mere suggestion, including hypnosis or other placebo techniques. Let&rsquo;s give this one a shot, it can&rsquo;t hurt, right? Ok, answer this question to yourself &ndash; Do you want that wart? (Hopefully the suggestion of &lsquo;no&rsquo; will kick off its regression)</p>
<strong>
<h2>Common Types of Warts</h2>
</strong>
<p>
</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Common Warts:</strong> Usually found around the nail and back of your hands and they usually have a rough surface; grayish-yellow or brown in color.</li>
<li><strong>Hand and Foot Warts:</strong> These are usually found around the soles of feet (plantar warts) or the palms of your hands (palmar warts) with black dots.</li>
<li><strong>Flat Warts:</strong> These are usually small, smooth growths that can be found in groups of up to 100 at a time; most often appear on a child&rsquo;s face.</li>
<li><strong>Genital Warts:</strong> These warts grow on the genitals and with adults, are sexually transmitted. They&rsquo;re soft and don&rsquo;t have a rough surface like common warts.</li>
<li><strong>Filiform Warts:</strong> These small, long, narrow growths usually appear on the eyelids, face, or neck.</li>
</ul>
<p>Like a virus those pesky warts can be passed from person to person and can even be picked up from environmental surfaces. Warts are benign, but can grow large and multiply and because of this they should be treated &ndash; the overall cure rate is 60-70%, not too bad. Moral of the story, don&rsquo;t be embarrassed, call your provider and get treated or rapid removal and hopefully a first and last wart.&nbsp;</p>
</div>Mon, 19 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0600{885C152F-F03B-4570-A52F-D5068FADC109}https://10.40.239.129/blogs/2016/09/a-better-way-of-doing-prostate-screening/A Better Way of Doing Prostate Screening<h3>Prostate Cancer Detection: The Old Way</h3>
<p>The PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) blood test was, for many years, the gold standard physicians used to determine the likelihood of a man having prostate cancer. A PSA score higher than 4.0 ng/ml was the magic number to trigger concern. A patient whose PSA was 4 ng/ml or above was generally a candidate for a biopsy to determine whether there was cancer.</p>
<p>In recent years, using a PSA for screening men for prostate cancer has come under attack, as studies showed that too many biopsies were being done on too many men who didn&rsquo;t have cancer. Furthermore, insignificant prostate cancers were being detected and over-treated. And so there&rsquo;s been a nationwide push to discourage men from getting PSA tests.</p>
<p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://intermountainhealthcare.org/blogs/2014/11/catch-prostate-cancer-early-through-screening" target="_self">Catch Prostate Cancer Early through Screening</a></strong></p>
<h3>The Bigger Picture</h3>
<p>At Intermountain Healthcare, we&rsquo;ve developed a more precise approach. Our belief is that a PSA test provides important information, but it&rsquo;s only part of a bigger puzzle. Starting in 2010, we developed a stratified testing approach looking at five pieces of information:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Age.</strong> We recommend men receive a prostate screening at age 50.</li>
<li><strong>Race.</strong> Prevalence of prostate cancer varies fairly significantly among races.</li>
<li><strong>Prescribed medications.</strong> Many men are prescribed a medication as they age called Finasteride, or dutasteride, which primarily is used to treat enlarged prostates. Enlarged prostates are not necessarily cancerous, but can cause issues with urination, etc.</li>
<li><strong>Digital rectal exam.</strong> This test allows us to determine if there are any abnormalities in the prostate.</li>
<li><strong>PSA blood test score.</strong></li>
</ol>
<p>We&rsquo;ve developed an algorithm that combines all five of these factors and creates a score. Based on this score, we are able to determine the likelihood of a patient having prostate cancer. If the score is above a certain level, we&rsquo;ll recommend a biopsy.</p>
<p>In adopting this approach to prostate cancer detection, we&rsquo;ve reduced the number of men who undergo biopsies by 30 percent, while at the same time increasing the percentage of biopsied men who are then diagnosed with cancer.</p>
<h3>Why does this matter?</h3>
<p>Patients often experience a lot of anxiety after learning they might have cancer. We&rsquo;ve been able to keep a lot of men who aren&rsquo;t at significant risk of prostate cancer from suffering this undue anxiety. Also we don&rsquo;t expose people who are cancer-free to the risks associated with a biopsy. While biopsies are very safe, it&rsquo;s always best to avoid unnecessary surgical procedures.</p>
<p>There&rsquo;s also cost savings associated to avoiding unnecessary biopsies. The cost of a prostate biopsy is approximately $3,000. We estimate that at Intermountain Medical Center alone, we&rsquo;ve saved $3.5 million over the past seven years by adopting this new screening process.</p>
<p>For many years the prevailing thought was that if a man had a family history of prostate cancer, screening was recommended more frequently. Our studies show family history isn&rsquo;t a strong indicator of your likelihood of developing prostate cancer, which has changed the way we approach screening.</p>
<p>So when should a man first get a PSA test? We recommend a PSA test at age 50. If his score is good (using our algorithm), then we suggest a PSA isn&rsquo;t needed again until age 60.</p>Fri, 16 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0600{F4504572-F71C-46F4-954B-6991D5F17824}https://10.40.239.129/blogs/2016/09/intermountain-eligibility-counseling-helps-patients-pay-for-necessary-care/Intermountain Eligibility Counseling Helps Patients Pay for Necessary Care<p>This team helps patients who either don&rsquo;t have insurance or don&rsquo;t have enough insurance to pay for the care they need to get well. These patients often don&rsquo;t know where to turn for financial assistance and are sometimes overwhelmed with the situations they are facing. </p>
<p>The Eligibility Counseling team steps up to help patients find the resources needed to navigate the healthcare system, no matter where they are in the healthcare process. Patients can speak with Eligibility Counseling before they receive care, while they receive care, or after they receive care to find payment options. </p>
<p>Terri Otten, Revenue Cycle Organization Manager in Intermountain&rsquo;s South Region, says, &ldquo;Intermountain is committed to giving every patient the same level of care regardless of their ability to pay. Although our first obligation is to our patients, we also have a responsibility to protect Intermountain&rsquo;s interests and find funding solutions for the care we give.&rdquo;</p>
<p>With that in mind, Terri and her team of counselors do their best to find creative ways to help patients. According to Terri the first step is to determine if uninsured and underinsured patients can be placed on a payment plan. If that&rsquo;s possible, Intermountain discounts the cost of care by 40 percent. If patients are not able to pay out of pocket, the counselors begin a detailed screening process to discover which (if any) financial aid programs are available to the patient. &ldquo;In most cases the patient isn&rsquo;t aware of the number of programs available to help them. There are so many different avenues they may not think of,&rdquo; says Terri. Some of the programs the Eligibility team explores include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Military coverage</li>
<li>COBRA</li>
<li>Parental insurance </li>
<li>Crime victim compensation</li>
<li>Insurance through the Affordable Care Act </li>
<li>Medicaid</li>
</ul>
<p>If all of these options are exhausted, Intermountain will often step in and offer financial assistance. In fact, as a system Intermountain donates approximately $1 million dollars in healthcare <em>every day</em> to meet the needs of patients in our communities. &nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;When a patient knows they have a financial advocate on their side, they can feel at ease and focus on healing,&rdquo; says Terri. &ldquo;We can help reduce or eliminate the stress a patient feels when he or she doesn&rsquo;t know how they will pay for care.&rdquo;</p>
<p>
<a href="/patient-tools/financial-assistance/how-to-apply/" target="_blank">Learn more about Eligibility Counseling services</a> or <a href="/patient-tools/financial-assistance/how-to-apply/" target="_blank">apply</a> for financial assistance.</p>Thu, 15 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0600{40F79077-D7CE-4540-A784-BD2C5CE2BECE}https://10.40.239.129/blogs/2016/09/tips-for-talking-precision-medicine/Tips for Talking Precision Medicine<p style="line-height: 150%;"><b>What is precision medicine?</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;">Precision medicine is a way of treating disease based on a person&rsquo;s genes, environmental factors, and lifestyle. A special test, like Intermountain&rsquo;s Precision Genomics ICG 100, is used to look for mutations in a person&rsquo;s cells that may be causing disease. In years past, most treatments were based on how the majority of people would favorably respond to a standard treatment. Now, healthcare providers have the ability to custom fit an approved treatment to a specific cellular mutation. Precision genomics has made great strides in cancer care because cancer cells often have multiple mutations, increasing the chance of finding a mutation/treatment match. Although many of the matched treatments can sustain life for a time, some of the traditional treatments may still be recommended because they offer the best chance of stopping or slowing the disease process. Now that you have some background on what precision medicine is, let&rsquo;s look at 3 questions that are at the center of every healthcare conversation</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><b>Ask Me 3&trade; Questions for Better Health</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;">The following 3 questions,designed by experts in the field of communication, can help people better understand their health situation and what to do to improve their condition. The 3 questions are:</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; 0: ;">1. What is my main problem?</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; 0: ;">2. What do I need to do?</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; 0: ;">3. Why is it important for me to do this?</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;">Question #2 is a good place to start the precision medicine conversation. Explain your understanding of precision medicine and ask if it might be an option for you. There may be a reason a personalized treatment wouldn&rsquo;t be right at this time and it can help to understand why. For example, some diseases or cancers have a very low likelihood of having a mutation and a matching therapy. Also, some targeted therapies may shrink a tumor but not quite have the power to eliminate all of the cancer cells. It is important to know if a therapy has the potential to eliminate a disease or just slow it down.</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><b>Tips for Talking Precision Medicine</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;">The following talking tips can help enhance a precision medicine conversation with your healthcare provider.</p>
<ul>
<li>Ask your healthcare providers if they anticipate any potential problems with a precision medicine treatment. For instance, will your insurance cover the treatment and how will the treatment affect your quality of life? Remember however, it is difficult to predict how any one person will tolerate a specific treatment.</li>
<li>Consider asking your healthcare provider to write down key points and things you need to do like additional testing or other specialists you need to see. You may want to record the conversation, but be sure to ask if the provider is comfortable being recorded.</li>
<li>Ask your healthcare provider to explain terms or tests that are unfamiliar to you. This reminds them to speak in plain language to help everyone in the room have a better understanding of what is being said. </li>
<li>If you are a visual learner, ask your healthcare provider if he/she has any pictures or diagrams to help you see what they are describing. You can also ask if there are any online or print resources to help reinforce the information.</li>
</ul>
<p style="line-height: 150%;">Participating in the treatment decision-making process is an important step in moving forward into treatment. The information presented in this post can guide you in engaging in your care by starting a conversation by asking if precision medicine is right for you.</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;">For more information on Intermountain&rsquo;s Precision Medicine and Genomic programs visit <a href="https://intermountainhealthcare.org/services/cancer-care/precision-genomics/about-our-test/">https://intermountainhealthcare.org/services/cancer-care/precision-genomics/about-our-test/</a></p>Thu, 15 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0600{69DC7FC4-BCF9-4A25-AD5B-6A5254259DE9}https://10.40.239.129/blogs/2016/09/family-fitness/Family Fitness<ol>
<li><strong>Have simple, active toys around</strong> &ndash; and use them together.&nbsp; Balls (lots of them, in different sizes). You can buy glow-in-the-dark soccer and basketballs (which add a fun twist to fall and winter evenings), bats, goals, basketball courts.&nbsp; A volleyball or badminton net is also really fun.</li>
<li><strong>Get a dog.</strong>&nbsp; The two or three daily walks are a great way to exercise as a family and dogs also teach responsibility, empathy and compassion.&nbsp; Don&rsquo;t have a dog?&nbsp; Go somewhere you will see them or, if you have an elderly neighbor with a dog, offer to walk it once a day or a few times a week.</li>
<li><strong>Use chalk</strong> to mark up your driveway for hopscotch or ball-bouncing games or to make an obstacle course for little ones on bicycles.</li>
<li><strong>Go swimming</strong> - See who can<a href="http://fitfamilytogether.com/swimming-fitness-for-moms-and-dads"> tread water the longest</a> dive under each other&rsquo;s legs in the water. Play sea monster: Lie in the shallow water, holding yourself up with your hands. And then move yourself using your hands (with your feet floating behind) to chase down your little guys as they run up onto the beach and back. (Be warned: Lots of screams and giggles!)</li>
<li><strong>Explore.</strong>&nbsp; Local parks, beaches, national parks, take hikes, climb rocks, do scavenger hunts, visit museums, pick your own fruit farms. Walk across bridges, up mountains, along the waterside.</li>
<li><strong>Use music as a cue.</strong> Can be fun to get your wiggles out after you&rsquo;ve been driving around or while you are cleaning the house or just to dance.&nbsp; Challenges: Can you clean up all the toys before the song is done?&nbsp; Can you jump up and down for the duration of the whole song?&nbsp; Disco nights.&nbsp; Funny songs.</li>
<li>Morning and evening stretching and yoga poses</li>
<li><strong>Classic games</strong> from your childhood &ndash; Simon Says, Mother May I, Red Light, Green Light, Tag</li>
<li>Buy inexpensive pedometers and reward the family member who racks up the most steps in a week.</li>
<li><strong>Walk or run for charity as a family.</strong>&nbsp; If a family member, friend, neighbor or classmate faces a health challenge, such as cancer or another type of chronic disease, signing up as a fund-raising team as a family promotes many good values, including fitness.</li>
</ol>
<p>Need more ideas? Sign up for our LiVeWell updates: <a href="https://intermountainhealthcare.org/live-well/">https://intermountainhealthcare.org/live-well/</a></p>Thu, 15 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0600{2FA8A1D2-14EB-49C2-B5EA-9D5CF0012173}https://10.40.239.129/blogs/2016/09/mens-health-5-tips-to-being-active/Mens Health 5 Tips to Being Active<h3>Physical Activity Recommendations </h3>
<p>It is recommended that all adults avoid inactivity. Some physical activity is better than none, and adults who participate in any amount of physical activity gain some health benefits.</p>
<p>For substantial benefits, adults are encouraged to get at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week, or approximately 30 minutes a day. Only about 50 percent of men regularly meet these requirements, so here are a few ideas to get you moving:</p>
<h3>Easy Ways Men (Especially Dads) Can Be Active</h3>
<ol>
<li>Play with the kids.</li>
<ul>
<li>Take them outside to the park</li>
<li>Go hiking</li>
<li>Go for a bike ride</li>
<li>Be engaged in the sports and activities they enjoy</li>
</ul>
<li>Look for opportunities to get in few extra steps.</li>
<ul>
<li>Take the stairs</li>
<li>Don&rsquo;t take the nearest parking spot</li>
</ul>
<li>Just say no!</li>
<ul>
<li>Don't allow yourself to be too busy to take care of yourself</li>
<li>Make time to workout</li>
</ul>
<li>Do activities you enjoy.</li>
<ul>
<li>Find something you enjoy, this will be more sustainable</li>
<li>Share your activities with a partner</li>
</ul>
<li>Track your activity and be accountable.
<ul>
<li>Find a relatively inexpensive fitness tracker</li>
<li>Have friendly/family competition</li>
<li>Report your goals and your activity to a spouse, friend, or loved one</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>
<p>At the end of the day, it doesn&rsquo;t matter as much how you are active. Just be active.</p>
<h3>Watch the video:</h3>
<br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rlkGIHnP0Yk?rel=0&amp;showinfo=0" frameborder="0"></iframe>Thu, 15 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0600{ED2259A1-890C-4734-BC57-321A1ECACE58}https://10.40.239.129/blogs/2016/09/green-berry-goodness-smoothie/Green Berry Goodness Smoothie<h3>Green Berry Goodness Smoothie</h3>
<ul>
<li>1 medium banana</li>
<li>1/2 cup frozen or fresh blueberries</li>
<li>1 cup fresh spinach</li>
<li>1/2 cup coconut water</li>
<li>1/2 cup low or nonfat milk</li>
<li>1 scoop whey protein powder (optional)</li>
</ul>
<p>Combine ingredients in the basin of a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Pour into glass and enjoy.</p>
<br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NPGF5JqxFwU?rel=0&amp;showinfo=0" frameborder="0"></iframe>Thu, 15 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0600{1710F23A-F3AF-4850-90B4-030C77C3AD51}https://10.40.239.129/blogs/2016/09/spotting-pediatric-cancer/Spotting Pediatric Cancer: How to Know Whether Your Child Should be Seen <p>There are not tests or studies to use as routine screening for childhood cancers such as leukemia, brain tumors, and a variety of solid tumors, which most commonly affect children. Still, parents can take steps to help detect childhood cancers early.
</p>
<p>The first line of defense: annual exams by a child&rsquo;s primary care provider or pediatrician. During these exams, the health care provider can touch and palpate internal organs, examine the skin, perform neurological exams and routine lab tests, and record family health history. </p>
<p>There also are signs to watch. Maybe a child has significant, unexplained bruising. At first, a parent might think the child is accident-prone, regularly bumping into things or falling. But this type of bruising, when brought to a physician&rsquo;s attention, can work as an early-detection for leukemia &ndash; which helps us save lives. </p>
<p>Maybe a child falls and hits her head, and a parent brings her to the pediatrician&rsquo;s office. There have been times when a pediatrician&rsquo;s exam led to an MRI, which detected a brain tumor.&nbsp; While the child had no symptoms of a brain tumor prior to the fall, that visit to the pediatrician made all the difference in the world for early detection and successful cancer treatment. </p>
<p>Developmental milestones also act as a good detection tool. Pediatricians ask about developmental milestones not to compare if your child is smart or advanced, but to determine whether something may be impeding normal growth and development.&nbsp; Some parents have told their care provider that a child&rsquo;s development lags behind that of his or her siblings, which has resulted in detection of a brain tumor. </p>
<p>Teachers can be a great help as well.&nbsp; They are with children each day, and know when a child begins to behave differently.&nbsp; Teachers can tell parents about their observations, such as complaints of continuous headaches, chronic tummy aches, and not being able to see the board. Sometimes, this helps parents know to have their child examined by his/ her primary care provider.</p>
<p>While cancer is the leading cause of death from disease for U.S. children, pediatric cancer survival rates have improved dramatically with newer, more effective treatments and early detection.&nbsp; Overall survival is now estimated at 81%, although survival rates vary according to the type of cancer.&nbsp; </p>
<p>We all can work together to help catch childhood cancers in the early stages. There are additional symptoms that, if recognized in a child or teen, may warrant a closer look by a primary care provider.&nbsp; Remember, these symptoms do not necessarily mean your child has cancer. But the symptoms can be a good indication you should contact your child&rsquo;s provider for further assessment. </p>
<p><strong>What to Look For</strong></p>
<p>
</p>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">Bruising &mdash; unexplained or inconsistent with recent injury</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">Bleeding &mdash; prolonged or taking more time for a wound to stop bleeding&nbsp;</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">Paleness &mdash; may be spotted by friends or relatives who see the child less frequently</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">Increased fatigue or more tired</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">Fevers &mdash; unexplained and persistent</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">Headaches &mdash; unexplained, especially those that tend to be associated with nausea and vomiting</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">Swollen lymph nodes</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">Vision disturbances</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">Loss of developmental milestones &mdash; falling behind in what children of the same age may be doing.</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">Change in coordination, strength, difficulty walking, using arms and legs.</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">Unexplained pain in back, arm or legs; persistent pain, swelling in an area, and associated favoring a limb</span></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>What to Do</strong></p>
<p>Contact your health care provider for follow-up. <a href="https://intermountainhealthcare.org/locations/primary-childrens-hospital/medical-services/cancer-care/" target="_blank">Primary Children&rsquo;s Hospital&rsquo;s</a> website has more information on pediatric cancer care.</p>Wed, 14 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0600{95971B17-ECD3-4135-8969-D911F758FC88}https://10.40.239.129/blogs/2016/09/rhinovirus-on-the-rise-what-you-need-to-know/Rhinovirus on the Rise: What You Need to Know<p>With the kids going back-to-school, there comes an uptick in cases of rhinovirus and, to a lesser extent, parainfluenza. </p>
<p>Rhinovirus can bring on all of the familiar symptoms of a cold: runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, headache, cough, and body aches. In some people, it can cause a mild fever, and may also lead to ear infections or sinus infections. In babies and young children, lung problems such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia sometimes develop.</p>
<h3>How it Spreads</h3>
<p style="white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; text-transform: none; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(51,51,51); font-style: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin-top: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.5; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">Rhinovirus spreads easily from one person to another. The spray from a sick person&rsquo;s cough or sneeze is a big contagion risk &ndash; and so are handshakes, high-fives, and nose-tweaks from that person. (Anyone with rhinovirus is likely to have &ldquo;germy&rdquo; hands from rubbing or blowing their nose.) And since rhinovirus can live on surfaces for a while, anything that has been touched by the infected person &ndash; clothes, toys, utensils, furniture &ndash; can also transmit the virus.</p>
<h3>Diagnosis and Treatment</h3>
<p style="white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; text-transform: none; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(51,51,51); font-style: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin-top: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.5; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">Providers usually diagnose rhinovirus by taking a medical history and doing a physical exam. If illness is severe, the provider may choose to verify the diagnosis by testing a sample of mucus.</p>
<p style="white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; text-transform: none; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(51,51,51); font-style: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin-top: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.5; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">As with many other viruses, treatment for rhinovirus usually means managing the symptoms until the infection clears. (There&rsquo;s no commonly used treatment that acts on this group of viruses.) However, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, or other complications of rhinovirus infection may require medication and monitoring.</p>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0.4em; font-size: 1.2em; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; text-transform: none; font-weight: 700; color: rgb(51,51,51); font-style: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin-top: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">What can I do today?</h4>
<p style="white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; text-transform: none; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(51,51,51); font-style: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin-top: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.5; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><strong>1) Practice prevention and stop the spread:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.2em; position: relative;">Wash your hands often and well &ndash; and have children do the same. (Give special attention to post-potty and pre-meal hand washing.)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.2em; position: relative;">Regularly wipe down tables, toys, and other objects and surfaces.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.2em; position: relative;">Cover your sneezes and coughs.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.2em; position: relative;">Use a tissue once, then throw it away and wash your hands.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; text-transform: none; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(51,51,51); font-style: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin-top: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.5; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><strong>2) Call your child&rsquo;s doctor if you notice:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.2em; position: relative;">Wheezing (a whistling sound when breathing in or out).</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.2em; position: relative;">Fast breathing (more than 40 times a minute) or very difficult breathing (retractions, or using the stomach muscles when breathing).</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.2em; position: relative;">Fever that lasts longer than 3 days &ndash; or fever higher than 100.2&deg;F in an infant 3 months or younger.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.2em; position: relative;">Fussiness, poor eating, sleepiness or low energy in a baby.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.2em; position: relative;">Signs of an ear infection &ndash; complaining about ear pain, tugging or rubbing the ear, etc.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.2em; position: relative;">Any other severe symptoms or symptoms that last longer than 7 days.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0.2em; position: relative;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0.2em; position: relative;">For more information and to get Germwatch updates, sign up <a href="https://intermountainhealthcare.org/c/germwatch">HERE</a>!</p>Tue, 13 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0600{61AD4154-4638-4908-A1FA-486A30A2B3FF}https://10.40.239.129/blogs/2016/09/stay-calm-and-keep-moving/Stay Calm and Keep Moving<p style="line-height: 150%; text-autospace: ;">Physical activity helps your body keep muscle mass while fighting fatigue. Reducing stress through mindfulness activities like deep breathing, visualization, positive affirmations, and even daydreaming are also beneficial during times of stress and illness. Some common questions about including physical exercise and managing stress when coping with cancer are answered in this post.</p>
<p style="margin: 6pt 0in 0pt; line-height: 150%; text-autospace: ;"><b>I don&rsquo;t like to exercise; what activities can I do?</b></p>
<p style="margin: 6pt 0in 0pt; line-height: 150%; text-autospace: ;">If you&rsquo;re like many people, the word exercise conjures up images of sweating away in a gym. But by definition, exercise is either a physical or mental activity done to improve one&rsquo;s health. The most important thing to remember is to do something you enjoy. For example, if you love shopping, go for a walk in the mall before the stores open. Do you enjoy a dip in the pool? Walking in water is a great way to tone muscles without worrying about falling. Basically, if you enjoy an activity, you are more likely to do it. </p>
<p style="margin: 6pt 0in 0pt; line-height: 150%; text-autospace: ;"><b>What types of physical activities are considered safe during cancer treatment?</b></p>
<p style="margin: 6pt 0in 0pt; line-height: 150%; text-autospace: ;">There are 3 principles to consider when determining what type of physical activity would be considered safe: intensity, frequency, and length of time spent doing the activity. For example, running 4 days a week for 1 hour is very different from walking 5 days a week for 20 minutes. Playing 18 holes of golf 3 days a week vs. 9 holes twice a week is another example of how to modify intensity and time. Talk with your healthcare provider about what types of activity you currently do and what, if any, changes are needed. </p>
<p style="margin: 6pt 0in 0pt; line-height: 150%; text-autospace: ;"><b>Meditation sounds complicated, what are some simple stress reducing strategies?</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; text-autospace: ;">Stress reduction should not be stressful! Here are some simple stress reducing activities that can be done anytime, anyplace.</p>
<ul>
<li>Take 2 deep breaths (in through the nose and out through the nose) followed by 1 deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth.</li>
<li>Breath normally while noticing what parts of your body move with the breath. This is a great technique to get out of the mind by focusing on the body.</li>
<li>Use your imagination to take you to a favorite spot or daydream about redesigning your kitchen or going someplace exotic.</li>
<li>Listen to music that inspires you.</li>
</ul>
<p style="line-height: 150%; text-autospace: ;">Above all, remember that you can remain active and reduce the stress and fatigue associated with cancer or any other illness. Partner with your healthcare provider to find the right type of activity and how often and vigorous you can safely do the activity to help you live the healthiest life possible.</p>Mon, 12 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0600